The rising demand for faster and more accurate parcel delivery at lower costs, combined with the speed of growth that 3pls, fulfilment centers and manufacturers are experiencing, is making modular automated parcel sorting system design a more important feature than ever.
Modular sorting systems, such as ID Parcel & Mail Solutions’ Packet Parcel Sorting System (PPSS) share several key design features that often vary from traditional fixed systems. They are built with sections, or “modules” that can be added to, rearranged and/or replaced over time.
A range of features can make up a modular system that can include additional conveyor paths, more sort lanes, scanners, induction points, and more.
As operations grow, so does the demand for parcel processing and sorting capacity. Additional conveyors can help operations facilitate higher throughput, create new sort destinations, and reduce bottlenecks.
Modular conveyor design allows automated sorting systems to adapt to limited warehouse space. By utilizing curved or inclined modules, facilities can easily fit larger, high-throughput systems into tight or complex footprints.
Modular designs also make it less expensive to move a system when a new facility is required to meet growth or other business needs.
As shipping requirements become more demanding, an automated parcel sorting system may need to handle more carriers, more delivery zones, or more internal distribution points than it was originally designed for. Making the most of competitive delivery options requires package details such as dimensions and weights as well as the ability to add new sorting outlets and container options.
Having the ability to add new sorter outlets, or upgrade to a more advanced sorter technology, expands these capabilities without the need to reengineer the entire machine.
Oftentimes, as operations grow, the types of parcels that require processing will change. This leads to different parcel sizes, weights and packaging. To accommodate, companies may need to change out or add sorter outlets to handle the new materials.
Smaller, more affordable automated parcel sorting systems are often built with only the most critical automation components at first. This provides a good ROI (return on investment) for transitioning from manual processing to automated processing and sorting. Automated conveyors, barcode scanners, sorters and stations for manual labeling are often sufficient to dramatically speed up throughput when compared to manual sorting.
As operations grow, and higher throughput is required, adding additional automation capabilities and features can help the system keep up, and add more speed, data, and additional savings and accuracy.
At ID Parcel & Mail Solutions, instead of using a single, continuous frame, our modular automated parcel sorting systems use independent modules with standardized hardware mounting interfaces. This allows for the “plug-and-play” addition of automatic labeling machines, weighing scales, dimensioning devices, etc.
High-speed barcode readers, multi-side scanning tunnels sophisticated dimensioning systems, OCR (optical character recognition), and package to container nesting are examples of this type of advanced technology. They can identify damaged labels, read poorly printed barcodes, recognize package orientation, and capture dimensional data in real time to improve routing decisions, as well as provide a manifest for each sorting outlet container’s contents
In addition to their operational benefits, the pre-engineered sections of modular automated parcel sorting systems are often faster to build and install. The standardized components are typically pre-built to predefined specifications. They are also constructed specifically to connect with ease during installation.
One of the most appealing upsides to modular automated parcel sorting systems is the significant cost savings they provide over more structured set-ups. Upgrading components as needed eliminates the need to replace the entire system to accommodate growth.
Growing operations are often based out of physical spaces designed for manual sorting requirements. As a result, floor space can be limited and adding big equipment can be challenging. Modular components are super flexible when it comes to tight or unusually shaped warehouse space. Conveyor sections, sortation modules, scanners, and workstations can all be arranged in a way that maximizes the available layout. Modular sections can be configured to curve, turn and even incline to fit.
Moving from manual parcel sorting to automation, or even adding ancillary automated systems, opens up a whole new world of efficiency. This efficiency is amplified when your automated parcel sorting system is built in a modular fashion. ID Parcel & Mail Solutions has extensive experience building this type of equipment. Please reach out to our team for more information.
